I'm curious as to what French fans think of their team's performance? For the first 20 minutes I was bricking it. It was like Argentina + Scotland all over again. There was a real menace in that French side in the first 20 minutes. Disallowing that try was huge. If for that knock on this game would've been very different. I can't even imagine the lift and momentum swing (even more so than they had) that try would've given them. Anyone else roaring at the telly when Sexton kept going for the corner? I thought the 3pts were a no brainer on every single occasion. He made up for it with that sweet drop goal I suppose.
Bar Murray and Sexton I don't think anyone had a top-class performance. CJ was unusually quiet. It was a good collective team effort, we did well to contain the French and deny them their game-plan but personally it wasn't a hugely inspiring or confidence building performance. There are still a few question marks over this Irish side. Our backline is so unexceptional. After the Scotland match I will fancy our chances in Wales but am seriously expecting them to step up their game. We won't get away with it if we played like we did yesterday. Also, I didn't think it was a turgid match as someone said earlier, actually thought it was quite entertaining and well, good?
Side point but anyone else get a little sick when they saw that ad for a feckin' documentary on our November series? I think that win over NZ and Aus is being blown way out of proportion. The Irish often get carried away with the result (France WC 2015, Christ...). Not to detract from a fairly sound performance yesterday, but the Irish media is just as bad as their English counterpart in terms of hyperbole.
In any case I'm just happy to have a cracking 6N again.
I can't even put into words how bad last years was.
Everybody is disappointed obviously. Yes u right, it could have changed the game if Huget/Fickou would have managed better 2 or 3 attacks there was in the first 20-30 minutes. Still, we got slapped on the physicality and automatism level. Lets not forget there was an irish full force level against a french team that has only maybe 1/2 of the players who were planned to play at the start of the tournament, France has been crippled with injuries since the beginning of the tournament and it does not make easy when you have to call back some replacements in the middle of a tournament, guys who did not really live the adventure from the start in January.
But it does not stop me to recognize the superior fitness and collective game that the irish have shown yesterday. I won't rant again about Owens, I would just really hope that he retires soon, he has just pinning us down since too long....
For france, it feels like starting again from scrap after 5-6 encourageing performances (since Guy Noves is in charge), I think what was really disapointing, apart being not as fit as the irish (we knew already it would be hard to compete at the ruck level). is this impression that France was running like a headless chicken in attack after the 30 first minutes, certainly due for a part to the high pressure ireland has put on us, It gave the feeling that wee were back to the previous Saint Andre Era, I think that was the most disapointing.
There was the feeling that this match was important and would have launched a succesful year for the frenchies if we would have won. unfortunately, too high expectations...
Now there is not a lot left to do for the french in this tournament, just at least to try to win againt Wales (and ITaly obviously), IT feels like it is a failed tournament already.
The only good thing for France was to beat Scotland, it enables us to stay in the 8 first place of the IRB classification for the next world cup draw and therefore, avoid hopefully a death group.
Bernard Laporte (who is now the president of the french federation of rugby) has announced today that he will put a priority on a list of 40 players (certainly from next September, will need to be negotiated with clubs) who will sign for the first time in France a federal contract with the national rugby federation. This means that an important part of their salary will be covered by the national federation and the other part by the club they play for. what it means is that there will be strict rules of engagmeent for these players (no more than X matches a season, regular meeting and trainings outside 6 nations or Seasonal tours, regular rest period...). I do beleive this is the way to go, we will be finally able to fiht with same weapons than brit and irsih isles ..or ABs for example. It is not done and dusted, there will be some tough negotiations with Clubs I believe but Bernard Laporte has made it one of his priority for the time of his presidence, fingers crossed !
